Bathroom Design
Nursery and Bathroom for an Infant With Medical Needs
Design and renovation pros create a comfortable ambiance in a Kansas space where function is paramount
Shortly after buying a fixer-upper for their growing family, this couple welcomed a newborn son with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition that in this case required special bedroom accommodations for medical equipment as well as for temperature, moisture and sound control. While he was being cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit, design-build firm Reilly’s Contracting helped the couple design and renovate his nursery and bathroom, as well as other areas of the house, to accommodate his condition and create comfortable spaces for him, his family and his caregivers.
“Due to a nationwide shortage of nurses and an even shorter supply of nurses who are willing to care for their patients in their home, the couple thought it best to not only build a new functional space for their son but also make it as comfortable and attractive as possible, so nurses would be more willing to accept a position as his caretaker,” says Erinn Roos-Brown, CEO of Reilly’s Contracting.
“Due to a nationwide shortage of nurses and an even shorter supply of nurses who are willing to care for their patients in their home, the couple thought it best to not only build a new functional space for their son but also make it as comfortable and attractive as possible, so nurses would be more willing to accept a position as his caretaker,” says Erinn Roos-Brown, CEO of Reilly’s Contracting.
But all of this function did not mean forgoing style. As mentioned, the couple wanted to create a comfortable and appealing space for caregivers as well as for the son and the rest of the family.
“We began by recognizing the existing style of the 40-year-old house,” Lurvey says. The home had an old-English-inspired design, with beautiful dark oak library-style wood paneling they wanted to nod to while updating it. The plan was to give the space a clean and simple style with layers of texture to add warmth.
The millwork nods to the original paneling seen throughout the home, but a coat of white paint keeps it light, bright and cheery. Dark stained oak on the ceiling and oversize doors incorporate the wood in a way that adds warmth without darkening the room. The dark-frame windows add a clean-lined, modern element.
Wall paint: Pure White; trim paint: High Reflective White, both by Sherwin-Williams
“We began by recognizing the existing style of the 40-year-old house,” Lurvey says. The home had an old-English-inspired design, with beautiful dark oak library-style wood paneling they wanted to nod to while updating it. The plan was to give the space a clean and simple style with layers of texture to add warmth.
The millwork nods to the original paneling seen throughout the home, but a coat of white paint keeps it light, bright and cheery. Dark stained oak on the ceiling and oversize doors incorporate the wood in a way that adds warmth without darkening the room. The dark-frame windows add a clean-lined, modern element.
Wall paint: Pure White; trim paint: High Reflective White, both by Sherwin-Williams
“The bathroom space is more modern than the bedroom, so we had to blend the two environments together with one common element, and the entrance seemed to be the best place to make that connection,” Lurvey says. The lack of swing required by a pocket door saves space, and the frosted glass allows natural light from the nursery into the bathroom. “Given that this is a child’s room and [given] the old-English nature of the house, we decided to stencil the word ‘lavatory’ onto the glass,” Roos-Brown says.
Before: The bathroom floor had blue carpet, and the space was complete with a matching baby-blue tub, sink and toilet. The room was dark, due to a lack of natural light and nice artificial light.
After: A palette of white and gray warmed by canary wood accents updated the bathroom’s look. Canary wood is tropical and moisture-resistant. “The home’s original character incorporated a great deal of dramatic wood, and we wanted to continue that in the bathroom,” Lurvey says. “[The canary wood] allowed the room to be more contemporary and modern, but connected to the design of the larger house.”
Before: Sliding shower doors and a shallow bath were dated and unappealing.
After: A freestanding tub complete with shower in a wet room setup replaced the built-in tub-shower combo. A canary wood soffit overhead connects to the vanity wood. It also houses the exhaust system and plumbing. “The canary wood’s natural moisture-resistant properties and attractive color variations made the wood a perfect choice for the space,” general contractor Tim Weatherly says.
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
Browse white freestanding bathtubs
Octagons were another original design element that showed up around the home. “We honored this design element through the tiles, but the patterns and color scheme allowed us to be more playful in this child’s bathroom,” Lurvey says. The tile extends across the floor and up the shower wall. The other sides of the shower are covered in subway tile in a grid pattern. A tiled niche with three shelves provides plenty of space for personal care products.
Hire a local tile professional
Hire a local tile professional
The tiled walls and extra insulation allow this space to serve as a wet room that does not require a shower curtain or enclosure.
The designers laid out the vanity with medical needs in mind — plenty of countertop space provides a spot where medical equipment can dry after it has been cleaned. The team left the bottom of the vanity open for easy access to towels. The drawers and doors are soft-close, to cut down on noise. The simple white quartz countertop provides contrast to the exotic look of the canary wood.
Wall paint: Fleur de Sel, Sherwin-Williams; countertop: Absolute White quartz, Braco Stone
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Wall paint: Fleur de Sel, Sherwin-Williams; countertop: Absolute White quartz, Braco Stone
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This photo shows the toilet tucked into an alcove on the left side of the room.
Canary wood open shelves pick up on the vanity and soffit while providing room for storage and display. “We wanted to keep the bathroom floor plan open, yet we needed storage. The area above the toilet lent itself perfectly to open shelving with hidden brackets that allows for quick access to items for the baby’s caregivers,” Weatherly says.
Keeping the room light and bright was another design priority. In addition to the natural light that comes through the door, there are recessed lights in the ceiling and a backlit circular mirror. “This dramatic piece adds beautiful soft light to the space and keeps the wall above the sink simplistic and clean,” Lurvey says. There are also built-in night lights in the light switches in both the bedroom and bathroom.
“This home remodel project is so much more than the development of an attractive space,” Lurvey says. “We’re building a sanctuary designed to advance the health and well-being of the family over a lifetime.”
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“This home remodel project is so much more than the development of an attractive space,” Lurvey says. “We’re building a sanctuary designed to advance the health and well-being of the family over a lifetime.”
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Who uses this room: An infant with Treacher Collins syndrome, and his family and nurses
Location: Leawood, Kansas
Size: Nursery: 300 square feet (28 square meters); bathroom: 52 square feet (4.8 square meters)
Designers-builders: Samantha Lurvey, Erinn Roos-Brown and Tim Weatherly of Reilly’s Contracting
“With several electronic pieces of medical equipment, round-the-clock nursing care and breathing complications, this infant would spend a significant amount of time in this room with his family and caregivers for years to come,” Roos-Brown says.
Improvements were crucial — the room needed to have very clean air with a high moisture content, which had to be contained within his room. Special construction keeps the nursery airtight, heavily insulated and moisture-resistant. This includes a new HVAC system with state-of-the-art equipment, thickened walls to accommodate more insulation, larger new windows with high-performance insulation to prevent drafts and let in more natural light, and sound-dampening insulation in the interior walls. The team also added a new electrical system to handle the power required to run the medical equipment.
The child’s eating and breathing issues will be addressed with surgeries as he grows up. For now, the accommodations made are most important for sleep time. “His suite is a concentrated environment of clean yet moist air that under normal circumstances is only required for him to sleep,” interior designer Samantha Lurvey says. “We have adapted the entire house to be more comfortable for their son so that his daily routine is flexible.”
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